HIKING GREATER VICTORIA REGION

2016 Hiking Leaders:

With up to 4,500 visitors touring the trails of John Dean Park each month, impacts on the park are considerable. Although you may not immediately see the effects of your actions, please keep in mind the cumulative effect of all the people who will visit the park this year.

Jarrett believes the greatest impact to John Dean Park comes from what’s happening outside of the park versus inside. To hedge against the increased usage, Jarrett recommends:

Regulars: after a major rain, please wait 12hrs prior to your regular tour.

Suggest – after a good rain, redirect the group to nearby beaches, versus leading the group through soft trails. Leaders can appreciate that 3 of 18 will step on green surfaces to avoid the wet spots. Consequently, leaders own the damage caused by their group.

Increased park visitation during recent years has placed a great deal of pressure on the park’s resources.

The excellent condition of John Dean Park is oblivious to those to visit similar regional/provincial parks.